Aftermath
by Celestial-Lorekeeper
Summary: Takes place immediately after 'In the Hall of the Gumm-Gumm King;' MAJOR SPOILERS for the end of Season 2! As the refugees from Trollmarket flee Gunmar and seek shelter, a few of them start noticing something about the Trollhunter that catches their attention and makes them wonder a few things. And Blinky has the answers. Inspired by Garth Brook's 'The Change.'


((Inspired by The Change by Garth Brooks (beautiful song!); takes place immediately after 'In the Hall of the Gumm-Gumm King' in the thoughts of the survivor Trolls about Jim, and Blinkous's explanation for some of their question. I apologize for any typos; much of this was written on my phone. I don't own either Trollhunters or 'The Change;" they belong to their respective owners and creators; I wish I was so blessed to have made either!))

Night was well advanced. Most all of Arcadia Oaks was fast asleep, and even the forest were silent other than a very few night insects and owls...and a group of survivors from a devastating attack on their home that had left them as refugees.

The Trolls who had managed to escape Gunmar's takeover of both Trollmarket and their friends and family were quiet as they walked, following their new leader, Blinkous Galadrigal. Many were only now starting to process what had _actually_ just happened. The past few hours seemed a nightmare they couldn't wake up from. First Usurna had declared both the Trollhunter and Vendal dead, then introduced _Gunmar_ as their new leader! Gunmar the Black, the Destroyer! And those first who had defied him had been made an example of, being put under the thrall of Gunmar's wicked Decimer Blade, becoming his minions. Screaming, running, and desperately trying to hide had followed, as all around helpless Trolls were captured, dragged from their homes, families ripped from each other's arms to suffer who-knows-what fate.

Then, a miracle. The Trollhunter reappeared as if from stone, leading his friends in an evacuation rescue! And even when it seemed their hopes were to be dashed by several fatal yards of daylight between the escapees and the safety of the forest, again the Trollhunter saved them, calling in human allies with umbrellas to shield them.

Then it seemed disaster was about to come crashing down as Gunmar's allies sealed the gyro station that had been their escape route, and were battering their way in. But the female human had risked her very life to utilize her staff to its fullest degree, with help from the Trollhunter, his smaller human friend, Blinkous, Aaarrrggghh, and a Changeling of all things.

Now they were safe, at least for the moment. They had a new leader to guide them, and he was directing their steps towards somewhere they could hide, both from the sun and hopefully from Gunmar.

He wasn't leading them there alone, however. Though they had discussed some things while the Trolls had rested, the female human, the shorter male, and the two black-clad newcomers parted from them about an hour before they'd begun their journey. Yet the Trollhunter remained, and walked beside Blinkous, every so often looking at the phone he held and sometimes showed it to the four-armed Troll.

It honestly was both greatly reassuring and utterly confusing. The Trollhunter was clearly very tired. He'd fought his way up from the Deep Caverns, then through Gunmar's warriors time and again to bring them to safety. His strength had gone into the magic staff, and it was late. It was common knowledge that humans were diurnal creatures; this should've been his sleeping time.

But there he was, pressing on with them, his armor gleaming softly in the dappled moonlight. Every so often he sighed a deep breath, or his head bowed forward in exhaustion. He stumbled slightly once, Aaarrrggghh on his other side catching his elbow so he didn't fall. Yes, he was the Trollhunter, and that meant protecting the good of Trollkind was his duty. And they'd seen how he had stepped up before to fulfill that duty, against Bular, and Angor Rot, and the Changelings.

But in many minds they heard their own cries when Usurna had informed them of his death. 'Trolls protecting Trolls.' 'I never liked him anyways.' Even after all he had done for them, when he'd been on trial before the Tribunal none of them had tried to do anything even though they'd all known about it. None had stepped forward to speak on his behalf, unusual an occurrence though that may have been. None had offered to aid Blinkous; in fact they had shied away from he and the human female, not wanting to associate with any of them.

In short, they had abandoned the Trollhunter in his hour of need.

Somewhere among the group a young whelp, in the arms of a troll not of his own tribe nor even his own blood, started to whimper. Blinkous glanced back, briefly conferred with the Trollhunter, then held up his staff in a signal, stopping.

"We'll take a short rest," he told them. "Catch your breath; I promise we will be there shortly." Most all of the weary Trolls immediately sat down, many right where they stood. Many were silent, some shed tears for those they could only see in their minds. One whelp tearfully asked where his parents were, and Blinkous kindly came to the attending Troll's side to gently touch the young one's head, offering reassurance that someday they'd see one another again.

But the Trollhunter remained standing, looking back the way they'd come very attentively. After about a minute he paced a circle around the resting Trolls, securing the perimeter before pausing to speak with the Impure, seemingly giving some instruction for the small creature replied with a 'sure thing, boss!' before he darted off ahead of them. The Trollhunter stood his vigil from a different vantage point, then circled again, guarding them with a determined intensity despite his clear weariness and the fact that a rest would probably do him good as well. He kept this up until about fifteen minutes later when Blinkous gestured, and they resumed walking.

Five minutes later there was a rustling ahead of them, and cries of fear slipped free against all better judgement, the thought that somehow Gunmar had caught up to them, circled around to cut them off. The Trollhunter immediately had Daylight in hand and was moving forward towards the sound, battle-ready until the Impure called out and appeared on a branch. The human relaxed and listened to what the Changeling had to say, then returned to Blinkous. After another brief word he ventured on ahead with the Impure joining him, and as he stepped into the foliage and vanished the refugees became nervous.

"Master Jim is going on ahead to ensure our way is open. While NotEnrique saw no one about, we will have to get through a fence without causing any undue damage that could alert humans to our presence," reassured their leader soothingly. "We will give him a small head start then continue on, and meet him there. After that it should be only another half an hour to our destination."

"Where are we going, Blinkous?" Bagdwella asked sincerely, curious despite the situation.

"Master Jim, Tobias, and Claire have informed me of a cave system that lies in a nature preserve the humans have established in the woods. The caves themselves are off-limits to humans, deemed unsafe and a possible wildlife habitat, but it is the closest place they know of where we will be safe from the sun, and hopefully from Gunmar. He no longer had the Janis Order in Arcadia Oaks to aid him, and there will be long stretches of open air between him and us." After about five minutes Blinkous gestured and they continued.

It wasn't another ten minutes before they came to a place where the forest paused for about a space of twenty-five feet. A chain link fence split this distance, and on the other side was the Trollhunter.

Blinkous went ahead to speak with him, and a plan was soon put into action. The fence lacked an alarm - the reason why the Trollhunter was on the other side; officials would've been annoyed but far less panicked by a teen climbing over looking for some fun than a horde of 'monsters' breaching their perimeter - so those who were able and light enough would go over, while those who couldn't would go under the fence via several stones Aaarrrggghh and other stronger Trolls could push out of the way, creating a crawlspace under the fence then pushed back into place after everyone was through. It took some effort, and the climb for those going over was tense. Little whelps were helped and passed hand to hand and down to the Trollhunter. Every rattle off the links or creak of metal made everyone cringe, fearing discovery at any moment.

But finally the last Troll, Aaarrrggghh, squirmed his way under the fence. He lost a tuft of fur on the rough underside, which the Trollhunter was sure to retrieve before the stove was replaced against discovery, then when he and Blinkous were satisfied there were as few signs of their passage as possible they pressed on. This time there was a sense of hurry, Blinkous and the Trollhunter setting a quick place. They had been traveling for what at least felt like hours, and sunrise would shortly be their enemy.

Soon, Blinkous promised to the fearful. Soon.

Finally, they came to the edge of a clearing. A high hill rose up here, and at its base was a cave opening. While Blinkous signaled them to wait the Trollhunter with Aaarrrggghh at his side advanced. The moonlight glinted off of Daylight as he held it in front of him, and they vanished into the cave.

Five anxious minutes passed.

Then a shadow appeared in the cave entrance, then the moonlight fell on the Trollhunter, and he gestured them the all clear. The Trolls hurried forward and past him into the cave. The darkness didn't bother them overly much - they were subterranean by nature after all - and it was simply a relief to many to be back underground. A brilliant light from behind them heralded the Trollhunter's arrival, holding his phone above his head with its flashlight feature turned on so he could see. The beam feel upon Aaarrrggghh and illuminated the wide cavern behind him.

The refugees had finally arrived.

Over the next hour or so Blinkous moved around the cavern, carving runes into the walls and speaking magic to make the marks glow and softly brighten the area. The Trolls settled here and there, just resting from their ordeal. Some glanced the Trollhunter's way, expecting that now they they were safe he would go home. He certainly appeared like he needed it. They caught him starting off as if deep in though, and was it an illusion or was he favoring a leg?

But instead he had a word with Aaarrrggghh and together they settled at a point where they would easily be able to get to the entrance, the Krubera in a slight curl and the human sitting leaning against the big Troll's shoulder. His head bent forward and his eyes closed, but it was clear he was remaining for at least a whole longer.

As the refugees clustered, taking quietly, gazes frequently turned to their protector, as did their conversation. 'Why?' was the question most often spoken.

Why was he remaining?

Why was he standing by him after they abandoned him to his fate?

Why wasn't he resting at home?

Finally Blinkous happened to overhear some of the murmurs, and he had an answer.

"It's more than the fact that he's the Trollhunter. Just watch." Blinkous gently tapped the end of his staff against the ground. It wasn't much of an intrusive sound, but still the Trollhunter raised his head to look for the source. Blinkous shifted his hand on it when the human's eyes landed on him, making it seem as if he'd merely been adjusting his grip, then the blue orbs traveled across the refugees, like he was trying to...count them? Or at the very least do the best he could to do so at a glance, looking for familiar faces and finding them as points of reference for the location of others. Then when he was satisfied he bowed his head again. But his rest wasn't very long as an animal call cut through the air outside, echoing into the cavern. The adults, especially those who had been outside Trollmarket, could easily identify the noise but the whelps became frightened, whimpering. Again the Trollhunter raised his gaze, but instead of dismissing it - surely he'd heard it as well and knew what it was - or leaving the adults to try and settle the young ones' imagined dangers stood and called his sword to hand. He left the chamber, then returned a couple of minutes later with Daylight on his back and something in his fingers. With a calming smile he went to the whelps and let them see what he had - an owl's feather - and pass it around as he explained the creature, giving their phantom a physical form and thus taking away its power in their minds, stroking gently over a shoulder or head here and there when one seemed particularly upset. When they were settled he encouraged them to rest and returned to his guardian position.

"A warrior's rest," Blinkous elaborated. "Kanjigar the Courageous once spoke of it to me. He only does so, and lightly, so if he is needed he can be there. Quite likely he will remain awake in this manner until dawn at the least, when we will be more assured of safety."

"But _why_?" Bagdwella finally pressed, softly though out of respect for those resting. "We turned on him, and more than once. From the start he's seen us at less than our best and often or worst. In the last twenty-four hours he's suffered more perils and pain than most of us could imagine. He's clearly exhausted and yet he's here protecting us when by all rights he could turn his back on us, like we did to him. Does he take being the Trollhunter _that_ seriously?" Blinkous softly laughed, though there was a note of regret in it, not for Jim but for the Trolls he addressed.

"I suppose Aaarrrggghh and myself, and Draal, Merlin preserve him, would be the only ones who knew. Master Jim doesn't do all these things, hadn't done all the things he's done for us in the past, _because_ he's the Trollhunter. All the Amulet of Merlin did was give him the power and opportunity to do what his heart desired him to do. You might say he's always been the Trollhunter deep inside, and not Angor Rot, not the Janis Order, not Bular or my traitorous brother or even Gunmar the Black himself can ever change that. As long as even one innocent Troll is left, Master Jim will do his all to protect them, because it simply is who he _is_."

Troll's had always had an uncanny sense of time, useful in making sure to be safely back underground when the sun rose. So they get it about to happen before it actual did: a faint light trickling in through the cavern tunnels. Aaarrrggghh, perhaps at a pure-arranged signal, nudges the Trollhunter who raised his head and looked at the entrance, and smiled. He watched it for a bit, then stood and went outside one more time to ensure they were safe. This time when he returned there was a sense of relief about him, and he was letting some of the exhaustion show without trying to hide it: his shoulders drooped and the tip of Daylight almost touched the stone floor, as if he barely had the strength to lift it. He released his grip as he moved back towards Aaarrrggghh, Daylight vanishing into blue vapors once again. He retook his place leaning against the Krubera, who was watching him somewhat worriedly, then the Trollhunter reached up and the Amulet of Merlin fell into his hand, the armor fading away as well. Instantly he leaned back against his friend with a visible, even if not audible, sigh, eyes closing. Aaarrrggghh nudged the teen with his elbow gently, and this time the youth didn't even try to protest, laying down next to his large friend and laying his head on his folded arms. Aaarrrggghh in turn moved closer, trying to help provide the teen with some warmth and also for some simple friendly companionship after their long, very difficult night. But even now, as tired as he was and as badly in need of sleep as he was, the Trollhunter's eyes fought to remain open. Aaarrrggghh looked at the youth, then to Blinkous, who smiled at the Trolls still with him and with an excusing nod moved over to kneel beside his friend, reaching a hand over to rest it upon the Trollhunter's shoulder and draw his bleary gaze. Only Aaarrrggghh could hear what was said between them, but finally Jim sighed deeply and closed his eyes, surrendering to sleep.

Yet even as he slept, with Blinkous setting guards to help ensure their safety as best they could, all present knew that at a moment's notice Jim would be wide awake and on his feet, speaking the words to call the armor and Daylight to hand, ready to defend them, because that was who he is, and nothing could change that.

((*as if from stone - a Troll way of saying from the grave))


End file.
